Oregon has the largest collection of covered
bridges in the West and one of the largest in the nation.

The
covered-bridge-building tradition in Oregon dates from the 1850s. Out of necessity,
pioneers built with the materials at hand. Douglas fir was abundant in western
Oregon and well-suited to bridge construction. To increase their useful life,
houses were constructed over the timber trusses to protect them from the damp
western Oregon climate.

The heyday of covered bridge building in
Oregon occurred between 1905 and 1925 when there were an estimated
600 covered bridges in the state. By 1977, this number had dwindled
to 56. This focuses on covered bridges
designed or built for vehicular traffic. Based on this criteria,
Oregon currently has 51 covered bridges.

Counties
with Bridges in Oregon5 or less10
or less11 or more51 Covered Bridges are listed on this
site